


Luminescent Mini-Stories

by Darling_No



Series: Radiance [2]
Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: Boys In Love, Falling In Love, Flower Language, Harems, Multi, One Shot Collection
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:01:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26690317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darling_No/pseuds/Darling_No
Summary: Ministories that aren't necessary to the main plot of Luminescent but I wanted to write because they're cute and build more on the relationships between the characters. I hope you enjoy these little ficlets
Relationships: Amaimon/Okumura Rin, Moriyama Shiemi/Okumura Rin, Okumura Rin/Mephisto Pheles, Okumura Rin/Suguro "Bon" Ryuuji
Series: Radiance [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1942222
Comments: 3
Kudos: 31





	1. Flower Language

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I just wanted to say that these stories are like, all out of order because they come to me at random, so I'm sorry, but I'm sure you can guess when they are, so please enjoy!

Amaimon, being the King of Earth, loved plants. He was connected to the Earth's crust itself, along with every plant that grew on it. His room in Mephisto's Manor had plants all along the walls, the ceiling, even along the floor. Healthy green vines spread across the room, blooming with delicate multicolored flowers that glowed in the dark. They were flowers from Gehenna–he'd brought the seeds from his territory in the mirror world over to Assiah after he'd committed to Rin's side of the war. 

Rin loved the plants almost as much as he did and he thought it was cute how Amaimon used flower language to talk when he didn't want to express himself with words sometimes. He'd wake up with random flowers blooming in his hair. Mephisto had gifted Rin a book of flower meanings when he mentioned it.

He normally woke up with anything from White Heather, Lunaria, Baby's Breath, and Honeyflower to Acacia, Red Camellia, Jonquil, and, Mezereon. Rin enjoyed looking them all up in his book. The pictures of the flowers in the book were all pretty, but it was clear that Amaimon's plants all grew perfect.

_White Heather–Protection; wishes will come true_

_Lunaria–sincerity, Honesty; fascination_

_Baby's Breath–Everlasting love; happiness; pure in heart_

_Honeyflower–Sweet; secret love; generous affection_

_Acacia–Secret love;elegance;hope_

_Camellia(Red)–You're a flame in my heart_

_Jonquil–Love me; affection returned; desire_

_Mezereon–Desire to please_

Rin smiled down at the book in his lap. Amaimon was as sweet as his name implied. Amaimon's name had confused him at first, buy it made sense to him now. Amaimon was sweet on the inside, if one stayed long enough to reach the center of the tootsiepop, so to speak. 

He carefully picked enough flowers for a bouquet and left it in a vase with a bright yellow now around it. 

Amaimon looked over the bouquet when he walked into his and Rin's shared room and let a smile slip into his face, not caring if it strained his mostly unused facial muscles. 

_Zinnias(Magenta)–Lasting affection_

_Lady's Slippers–Win me_

_Marigolds–Sacred affection;caress_

_Daisies–Loyal love;faith; cheer_

_Daisies(Red)–Beauty unknown to possessor_

_Dahlias–Good taste; forever thine_

And a single pale pink Rose.

_Rose(Pink)–Perfect happiness;grace; sweetness_

His chest warmed inside and the Gehennan flowers all around the room pulsed in time with his heartbeats. The vines crawled further along the walls and ceiling, blooming vigorously until it was more like there were flower garlands around the room. 

Rin woke up with red roses blooming in his hair the next morning and smiled, already knowing what they meant. 

_Rose(Red)–I love you;respect;beauty_


	2. Bubble Gum

Rin was trying to figure out what about Bon was catching his attention in Cram School when he finally realized that the teen was chewing something. Eating in class? Not Bon's style, but Rin could relate. 

But then he caught sight if something bright pink in Bon's mouth and realized he was chewing gum. But why? He voiced this question to his boyfriend and Bon responded with the most Bon reason ever: "It's scientifically proven that chewing gum can help you stay focused for longer on tasks that require continuous monitoring. It can also improve concentration in visual memory tasks." 

Rin stared at him for a moment before throwing his head back in a laugh. "I don't know what I expected!" He giggled. Bon raised a brow at him. "But if that's true....." A sly grin slid across Rin's face as he stood in his tiptoes to pull Bon down for a kiss. Shima and Konekomeru gaped at them as they made out before separating.

Rin grinned at the flushed Bon and blew a pink bubble with the I'm he'd stolen from the other's mouth. Bon's face flushed an even deeper red as practically Rin glided away, back to his seat next to Shiemi. The girl asked where he'd gotten the gum. He saw Rin wink at her and jerk a thumb in his direction. 

"That was so smooth....." Shima gaped. "It seems Rin has grown out of his awkwardness around people " Konekomeru agreed. 

§~•~§~•~§

Bon wouldn't stop chewing gum, so Rin just kept stealing it from him during Cram School at random times. Bon tried bringing the gum pack with him and offering it to the half-demon, but Rin would grab his hand, pull him closer, and steal the gum from his mouth, then tell him "It's a good thing you brought it with you then, isn't it?" With that damned sideways grin of his. Shiemi had caught on to the game after the third time and giggled whenever Rin came back to his seat blowing bubbles. 

§~•~§~•~§

"The gum is supposed to be helping me, but Rin is counteracting that and now I can't chew it without waiting for him to take it from me during Cram." Bon groaned, head in his arms on the breakfast bar counter. Mephisto snickered. "Yes, he's gotten quite mischievous, hasn't he? I believe both Amaimon and I have finally managed to pull that out of him." 

The Time Lord sighed. "He'd gotten in trouble for that mischief so often when he was younger that he automatically associated it with things that hurt him for a long time. He forgot how to really have fun with other people, but he's finally not afraid to show his real personality. I'm glad you've helped with that, Ryuji." The Time Lord was getting used to giving these gentle smiles, though only to his lovers. That smile was precious and Bon felt extremely proud of himself for drawing it out without trying. 

"So do you know what his favorite flavor of gum is?" He asked. Mephisto laughed and leaned forward to kiss him. He pulled away and blew a bubble, winking. "He likes the fruit flavored ones the best, Firefly." He answered. 

§~•~§~•~§

Rin hummed in delight when he tasted the fruit flavored gum as he stole it from Bon the next day. They held the kiss longer than usual before separating. Rin strutted back to his seat blowing bright yellow bubbles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's short but sweet, hope you enjoyed this little bit.


	3. Holiday Traditions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love building Gingerbread houses with my mom and my brothers, but I hate most of candy we use and Gingerbread, so I never eat anything but the M'n'Ms off of it 😂. I hope you guys enjoy this little chapter full of fluff.

Rin was in love with Mephisto's huge kitchen. It was nearly industrial-sized like the dorm's was, but the Manor's kitchen still managed to be elegant, with red cherrywood cabinets, marble countertops, stainless steel motion activated sinks and faucets, stainless steel appliances, and marble floors. 

Mephisto gave Rin free reign of the kitchen whenever he wanted and when the scent of food or dessert carried far enough into the house, the Time Lord would sometimes visit the kitchen to sit at the breakfast bar and watch Rin work. Amaimon would usually already be there, trying to sneak tastes of whatever the boy was making.

It was like a dance–Rin moved around the kitchen so fluidly while also spinning around to smack Amaimon's knuckles with a wooden spoon when he tried to sneak a taste of the seprate components of a treat, gracefully spinning back around to continue his work. He moved easily from counter to sink to fridge to the island and back to the counter. It still amazed the two demons how amazing he was in the kitchen. 

Rin was very precise and very particular about his ingredients, where he kept them, and where he placed them when he was cooking a meal. Because he was so particular about it, he usually kept everyone out of his kitchen to the best of his ability. Mephisto had watched Amaimon quite literally get thrown out bodily by the half-demon while he was cooking. He'd once thrown a knife between the Earth King's feet when he went to step in. Amaimon had stayed out of the kitchen that day and as a result, got to enjoy the traditional Chinese dish Rin made.

So when Rin pulled them into the kitchen, they were both surprised. "Is there something you need, Dearest?" Mephisto asked carefully, suspicious of Rin's behavior. Rin saw the looks on their faces and laughed. "I don't need anything except for you guys to help me build a gingerbread house." He said with a smile. He'd set out all the components on the island and gestures widely to them, proud of his organization. 

He turned back around to say something else but faltered when he saw Mephisto's face. The demon looked like he'd been slapped in the face. He blinked, mouth slightly hanging open. "What's wrong?" Rin asked, stepping up to the Time Lord. Mephisto shook his head and then smiled down at Rin–a real smile, not one of his predatory grins. "You are too good to us, Darling." He murmured, leaning down to nuzzle Rin's hair and leave a short kiss on his lips. Rin grinned at him and grabbed both of the demons, intertwining their fingers comfortably as he pulled them over to the island where he'd pulled the stools from the breakfast bar up. 

"It's something the American kids in my elementary school talked about around Christmas. They were either transfer students or moved because they were military families, you know how it is. But they talk about all these traditions they have in America around Christmas time and it always sounded like so much fun! So many things to do with the people you loved just because it was the month of giving. I think we should make our own Christmas traditions to do every year. And when we have a ton of kids it'll be a huge mess, but it'll be worth it." Rin looked so fond of the traditions he talked about, smiling down at the pieces of candy and gingerbread. He also looked like he couldn't wait to have tons of kids to do these traditions with. Kids with _them_ –Demon Kings who had done horrible things to millions of people over the years, including Rin himself. Mephisto and Amaimon exchanged a look–They didn't deserve him. So thank everything that he _wanted_ them.

Amaimon hummed in agreement, keeping his hand holding Rin's. Mephisto leaned down for another kiss that was unusually soft and Rin sighed happily. "I love you." He murmured when the kiss ended. "And I love you too, Rin." Mephisto placed a kiss on the boy's cheek and then pulled away, pulling Amaimon over to deliver the same words with a kiss. 

They started building the house by setting up the walls of gingerbread and gluing them together with frosting. "Mh, this one is small. You realize that we're going to need a gingerbread _mansion_ when we have children?" Mephisto commented with a huff of laughter as Rin pulled the frosting away from Amaimon's reach.

"It'll be worth it!" Rin said, completely serious as he picked through the gumdrops to get pink and purple ones to line the driveway. "Yes, it will. Maybe by then we'll be able to help you bake all the Christmas treats for the kids, hm?" Mephisto strategically placed tiny dollops of icing on the edges of the roof to stick colorful pieces of candy as Christmas lights.

"I can't wait for a bunch of little sprouts destroying our house and eating all the sugar." Amaimon agreed, licking the sides of small green swirled candy canes and sticking them between the gumdrops on the driveway. Rin wrinkled his nose at the Earth King's technique and put a circular pretzel as an attic window, filling in the "glass" with some blue icing and dropping white icing from it like icicles. He did the same with two square pretzels for the normal downstairs windows. 

Mephisto got ahold of the green icing and used it to paint the front door, a yellow piece of candy as a doornob. They were so concentrated on making the house silly and perfect that Amaimon forgot to sneak pieces of candy while they worked. 

Amaimon busied himself with making Behemoth out of a gumdrop, red icing, and tiny candy pieces. He plopped the goblin on the front lawn. "To scare off nuisances." He said in explanation at Rin and Mephisto's raised eyebrows. Rin snickered and placed his own fondant Kuro on the roof tiles. Mephisto laughed at his lovers. 

They spread icing around the ground outside the house and driveway and used coconut shavings as fallen snow. They put the finishing touches on, like attaching the independent Christmas lights around the roof with chocolate icing as the wiring, a fancy design on the green door, and then they were done.

They looked proudly down at their work. Mephisto snapped a camera into Rin's hands and he snapped a couple pictures. This was the camera they used to commemorate things that were important to them, like when Rin got his piercings, or when Mephisto taught Rin how to ballroom dance, or when Amaimon was showing Rin Gehennan flowers and explaining their uses and qualities, or the picnic they had with Bon and Shiemi in the garden.

"So what do we do with this now?" Rin wondered. "Wouldn't we eat it?" Mephisto prompted. "Yeah, but I hate most of the stuff on that. And gingerbread." Rin admitted. After a second of silence, he heard Mephisto quiet "Me too." And they laughed loudly, sitting around the island in the kitchen amongst a mess if sweets they didn't even like, Christmas just around the corner as it snowed outside.

"I....let's just give it to Ryuji." Amaimon suggested. Rin laughed harder at the unspoken fact that Amaimon also hated the candy on the house before nodding. "Yeah, we'll give it to him tomorrow when he comes over for lunch. He's probably not as picky as we are when it comes to candy." He agreed. 

They carefully protected the gingerbread house in a cake case and went to bed, cuddling comfortably in the warm sheets days before Christmas. 


	4. Cookie Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is almost Christmas time and I'm still single and lonely, so here you go–Shameless self-projecting onto characters.

Mephisto had originally been drawn to his kitchen by the smell of baking sweets, but he was even more intrigued when he heard the singing. 

He knew Rin loved to sing when he was baking by himself and no one was around to hear. So why did he hear two voices harmonizing in the most exquisite way? When he made it to the kitchen, he elected to peer just beyond the wall so he didn't scare the two away and stop the music. 

_I'm dreaming_

_Of a white Christmas_

_Just like the ones I used to know~_

Rin and Bon seemed to be making holiday cookies, singing as they did so–Bon singing the low notes and Rin harmonizing with higher notes. It was a heartwarming sight and Mephisto settled into a more comfortable position against the wall to simply watch the two spend their time together. 

_Where the treetops glisten_

_And children listen_

_To hear sleigh bells in the snow~_

Rin whisked chocolate cake mix and baking powder together while Bon whisked together eggs and vegetable oil. They combined the two and Bon mixed them accordingly. Rin didn't seem to need a recipe for whatever treats they were in the process of making. 

They then rolled the dough into balls with their hands and then placed them on a baking sheet covered with wax paper. Rin turned to get something else, presumably another ingredient. When he turned back around, Bon drew him into a slow, lingering kiss. Rin relaxed into him with a happy sigh and his tail moved to caress Bon's hip.

Watching them kiss was like watching a fireplace in the late hours of the night, when the light was dim and the mood was peaceful–warm, welcoming, and flickering with fondness. 

Mephisto could watch Rin and Bon for the rest of his life and never get tired of that warm fondness they had for each other. Bon was strong and studious and independent any other time, but when he was with Rin, he was so soft and loving and content. 

Rin was bold and brave and willing to go the distance if it meant succeeding in his goals, no matter how painful or tiring it may be. Rin could take pain and he could push through it like it was nothing. Rin could deal with insults and curses thrown his way and not say a thing in his own defense. Rin was strong and durable and seemingly undefeatable.

But when it was just him and Bon, there was a rawness there that he didn't even have with Mephisto and Amaimon. Maybe it had something to do with their humanity, maybe it was something entirely different, but Mephisto found he nor Amaimon ever minded not being faced with that softness. It seemed like a sweet thing only meant for Rin and Bon. 

The two separated and Rin left a kiss on the corner of Bon's mouth with a fond smile before turning back to the cookies. He handed some of whatever he had in his hand to Bon and they pressed what looked to be peppermint patties to the cookies, submerging the candy in them. Rin put them in the oven after pulling out some classic chocolate chip cookies.

"What cookies should we do next? Your pick this time." Rin said, turning to Bon, who looked thoughtfully at the ingredients strewn about in a sort of organized chaos on the countertops.

"I'm stuck between the pinwheel cookies and the peanut butter kisses." Bon admitted finally. Rin hummed in understanding. "We can do the pinwheel first and then my pick will be the penut butter ones, because I was thinking of those too and Amaimon loves them." He decided. Rin looked around at the ingredients to find what they didn't have out yet. "We need red food dye, which should be...." He trailed off as he reached for a top cabinet and Mephisto recognized the stubborn look on his face that said he really didn't want to ask Bon to reach the dye because he was too short. Mephisto did so love those moments. Rin was small and cute and Mephisto liked reaching over him just to tease him sometimes, reveling in the low growls he could pull from the boy. He could tell from the amused look on Bon's face that he was getting ready to do just that. 

He leaned forward, pressing his chest to Rin's back as he reached up and grabbed the red food dye in the cabinet. Instead of backing up, he stayed there, pressing the dye into Rin's hand while he leaned down to press a couple kisses to Rin's neck to soothe the annoyance from the half-demon. Ah yes, Bon wasn't as much of a tease as Mephisto was. Bon was soft on Rin, always. It was refreshing. Mephisto found that he teased Rin probably too much and too often. It was a work-in-progress.

"Mh. Could you heat up two sticks of butter while I find the almond extract, please?" At the soft-spoken question, Bon nodded and parted with Rin after another light kiss pressed to the spot behind his ear. 

He placed two sticks of butter into a bowl and put them in the microwave while Rin located the almond extract on the bottom shelf of the top cabinet and then found the measurements he'd need. 

They started up the singing again, a different song this time.

_Have yourself a Merry little Christmas_

_Let your heart be light_

_From now on our troubles will be out of sight~_

Once again, Rin mixed the dry ingredients. This recipe seemed to be a little more particular–Bon beat together the butter and sugar in the stand mixer Rin loved using. Rin added the egg and waited until it was fully mixed in before adding the almond extract and signaling Bon to add the dry ingredients. They let the mixer go until the dough was fully mixed, then took it out of the bowl. 

_Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas_

_Make the Yuletide gay_

_From now on our troubles will be miles away~_

Rin separated the dough into two halves and gave the one in the mixing bowl to Bon. He added red food dye and mixed it, adding more until they got the shade they wanted. 

_Here we are as in olden days_

_Happy Golden days of yore_

_Faithful Friends who are dear to us_

_Gather near to us once more~_

They shaped both slabs of dough into 1/2 inch thick squares and wrapped them in plastic wrap, putting them in the refrigerator to harden.

Rin pulled out the chocolate mint patty cookies and set them on a cooling rack, placing the chocolate chip cookies in a cookie jar with pieces of bread to keep them from getting hard.

_Through the years we all will be together_

_If the fates allow_

_Hang a shining star upon the highest bough_

_And Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas now~_

Bon pulled Rin to him and settled one hand on Rin's hip while the other clasped with Rin's. They swayed together around the kitchen, singing their Christmas song while they waited for the dough to firm up. 

_Faithful Friends who are dear to us_

_Gather near to us once more~_

Rin giggled as Bon spun him around and laid his head on the taller boy's shoulder when they were back in their loose slow-dancing position. 

_Through the years we all will be together_

_If the fates allow_

_Hang a shining star upon the highest bough_

_And Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas now~_

It was like watching a married couple spending their free time having fun and baking treats to give to their friends and family on Christmas. The sight was so wholesome it made Mephisto's heart ache. If Amaimon hadn't reached Rin first, he was sure Bon would've eventually come around and swept Rin off his feet. There was no doubt that Bon and Rin were made to be together. 

Rin and Bon started a new song.

_Chestnuts roasting on an open fire_

_Jack Frost nipping at your nose_

_Yuletide carols being sung by a choir_

_And folks dressed up like Eskimos~_

Mephisto only hoped, in the deepest part of him where all his secrets lay, that he and Amaimon could give Rin everything he wanted and more in the future like Bon could seemingly give Rin all he was so easily. Maybe it was because Love was something humans searched for and held onto so tightly. Demons had harder times understanding such strong emotions and didn't see the gain with emotions that could hurt them just as much as they could help them.

_Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe_

_Will help to make the season bright_

_Tiny tots with their eyes all a-glow_

_Will find it hard to sleep tonight~_

Bon picked Rin up by the waist and set him on the one clean spot of the counter, sliding his hands along Rin's thighs as the half-demon hooked his ankles behind his boyfriend's back and pulled him closer to kiss him and sing the lyrics against each other's lips.

_They know that Santa's on his way_

_He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh_

_And every mother's child is going to spy_

_To see if reindeer really know how to fly~_

They kissed at the end of the last note lovingly, just taking the time to be with each other and be perfectly content.

_So I'm offering this simple phrase_

_To kids from one to ninety-two_

_Although it's been said many times, many ways_

_Merry Christmas to you~_

Amaimon had also caught the scent of baking cookies and thankfully chose to walk down the same hallway Mephisto was in instead of just popping in like he did often, so the Time Lord was able to grab him and slap a hand over his mouth to keep him from disrupting the gentle moments between the two in the kitchen.

_And every mother's child is going to spy_

_To see if reindeer really know how to fly~_

Mephisto took his hand away and gestured to Rin and Bon in the kitchen. "Just watch." He murmured. "It's a lovely scene, don't you think?" 

_And so I'm offering this simple phrase_

_To kids from one to ninety-two_

_Although it's been said many times, many ways_

_Merry Christmas to you~_

It was such a sweet sight to see Rin and Bon singing to each other, lost in their own little world in Mephisto's kitchen while they baked holiday cookies, just the two of them.

_Merry Christmas_

_Merry Christmas_

_Merry Christmas to you~_

A timer went off and Bon left Rin with one more chaste kiss before taking out the chilled dough.

"It is lovely." Amaimon murmured, lacing his fingers with Mephisto's. "And so are you." He pulled the Time Lord down to kiss him, long and sweet–very out-of-character for the Earth King. Mephisto liked this about Amaimon–he learned from people and picked up mannerisms, actions, phrases from people he surrounded himself with. He'd stayed the same for so long because he never stayed around people before.

Amaimon knew how to change. Change was something that did not come to Mephisto, the King of Time and Space, easily. He was always the same–until now. But this was a change he welcomed, for once. 

Mephisto returned Amaimon's kiss with the hope that Rin, Bon, and Amaimon's places in his life would never change. He wanted them by his side forever. 


	5. Wedding Planning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *shameless self-projection intensifies*

Rin and Amaimon decided to get married on May 8th of next Spring. Springtime was a lovely time to get married–flowers blooming, green grass, blue skies, and cool breezes. 

Once they decided on the date, they started looking at where they wanted to get married in Spring. There were so many places that would be beautiful for a wedding out of the country. 

First, they looked at Villa Tre Ville, Amalfi Coast. In Spring, the wysteria bloomed everywhere, especially around the arches–ideal places to tie the knot under. There were beautiful views of the Tyrrhenian Sea and the suites with plunge pools made for the perfect Amalfi Coast getaway for newlyweds. 

But Rin didn't really want a beach wedding, so they moved on. And Amaimon wanted to bloom the floral arrangements himself. 

Next was Hotel San Cristóbal Baja, Mexico. It was a beautiful place with lovely architecture and a very minimalist aesthetic. The hotel overlooked the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains and the Pacific Ocean from its perch among the cacti. Amaimon vetoed that one. Too dry. 

After the Hotel was Amanjena, Morocco. Dotted by date palms and olive trees, the resort on the outskirts of Marrakech showcased Moroccan luxury. The ceremony could be held in the shady courtyard of the garden and the reception could be held around the pool. Rejected, they didn't like the setting. 

Next was The Ritz, Paris, France. Mephisto really liked that one and said he'd marry Rin there or somewhere like it, but he couldn't see Rin and Amaimon getting married there. They both agreed. 

They looked at a place in California, but both recalled that it was hot even in spring and moved past it. 

The last one they looked at was Belmond Castello di Casole, Tuscany. It was gorgeous! Warm weather that wasn't too hot, green grass, blue skies, nice breezes across the plains. The rolling hills covered in vineyards and small towns that made charming destinations for weddings were promising. 

They could get married in the restored Chiesa St. Tommaso Church and make use of the property’s historic grounds for the reception. The place was huge and they didn't have many people coming, it was perfect. Rin loved the castle aesthetic and Amaimon agreed only if they got married in the courtyard rather than inside the church, despite the irony that Rin found entertaining.

They decided to pay the place a visit at night so they didn't have to deal with an annoying tour guide. They were both too impatient to deal with a tour guide and would rather explore by themselves to their heart's content. 

The place had amazing architecture, comfy and modernized rooms to stay in, huge pools with lounging areas, nicely sized bathrooms, luxury lounging spaces inside with comfy furniture and updated technology. And all around the place, there were grassy hills extending as far as the eye could see, with mountains rising in the distance. Rin looked forward to racing Amaimon across those plains, being chased until they tumbled down together in the grass laughing, their wedding bands glinting in the sun. 

Rin couldn't wait to get married here! Amaimon insisted they do something risky while they were there, but Rin denied him. They could do that all they wanted on their wedding night. Amaimon purred at the promise and took them home to start planning floral arrangements.

They told Bon, and Shiemi about the place when they got back and ran into the two and they both pouted about not getting to see it themselves. "Oh, may I help with the flowers? I've been practicing a lot with growing things!" Shiemi requested excitedly. Amaimon nodded, not even thinking about it and Rin smiled. He really was soft on Shiemi and it was sweet to see. 

"Rin, Dad said he would walk you down the aisle and Yaozo will officiate for you guys." Bon told him. Rin gasped. "Really? Your Dad doesn't mind?" He asked worriedly. Bon took Rin's face in his hands gently. "Rin, he's only interacted with you a few times before, but he really likes you and he knows you have no one to walk you down the aisle. You have no family, and no one else in our group does either, so mine will come." Rin gave a watery smile. "Aw, don't cry." Bon laughed, hugging the Nephilim to him. Rin bawled into his chest, clutching onto him. 

"What happened here?" Mephisto raised a brow when he walked in to see Rin crying into Bon's chest. "My Dad said he'd walk Rin down the aisle since Rin has no family to do it." Bon explained. "Ah, yes, the tears make sense now. That's lovely, I'll have to thank him sometime, because he'll be doing that two more times." Mephisto kissed both of them on the cheek. 

"Juzo is a great cameraman, so he'll take the pictures for you guys." Bon added. Rin nodded against his chest, sniffling. Shiemi was Rin's Maid of Honour, then Izumo, Shura, Torako, Mamushi, and Jun. Yumi–Shima's younger sister–was their flower girl.

Mephisto was Amaimon's best man, then Bon, Shima, Koneko, Juzou, and Kinzou. Kuro would be their Ring bearer.

So far, they had their guest list done, their chosen wedding party, a set date, a venue, someone to officiate, and someone to walk Rin down the aisle. Things were going well for wedding planning so far and Rin couldn't be happier. Having something happy and fun to do with himself was relieving while he trained to control his new powers and come to terms with his new status too.

He sighed in contentment and let Bon lead him to the kitchen to eat breakfast that Belial had made.


	6. Imperfections

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite how I write Rin and everyone's thoughts of Rin being perfect, he still has a lot of issues. Here, you get to see how his lovers deal with those issues behind the scenes and the cons of certain relationship dynamics.

Mephisto had once said that a human soul in a demon's body was the closest anyone could ever get to the perfect being under God and his angels. 

But a human soul conflicting with the needs of a demon were difficult to deal with. Even when his body was disguised and sealed to be mostly human, there were problems with Rin.

Often one of his lovers or Shiemi would find him in a state of seeming insanity as he rocked in the fetal position and muttered to himself. It was really him doing his best to restrain himself and the whatever demonic urge struck him that day–either to kill the thing annoying him or to destroy everything around him in rage when he couldn't get someone to understand something that seemed so simple to him. 

He'd take deep breaths as he rocked, curled up with his knees held to his chest, like he was trying to calm down. Mephisto told him that he wouldn't be able to calm down until the need for destruction was sated or someone was able to cheer him up enough to not care about the problem anymore, but it helped him not just blindly burn everyone and everything around him in a rage thay consisted of him blacking out and waking up in the middle of a disaster.

"Rin? What's wrong?" Bon asked carefully. He'd long since learned to not ask if Rin was okay. Rin was never okay. He had the weight of the world on his shoulders that he never asked for. It was hard for him to even be fully there when spending time with his lovers because so many things required his attention and he was afraid to look away from them for even a second. Bon understood it, so he was never angry over it. 

"Shura wanted to train and when I said no, she wouldn't accept it." The boy muttered sourly, hands flexing so his claws dug into his legs. That was another habit–Rin would tear things up just to sate the urge to destroy. He'd rather inflict it on his own body than anyone he cared about, even if he was angry at them. Except Mephisto, of course. He would tear Mephisto apart easily if the man pissed him off. Maybe it was because he was the one who'd made Rin's life so difficult in the first place and even though Rin forgave him for it, some part of him still seemed to want revenge for it.

"Got tired of swords, huh?" Bon sat down next to him, not touching him, but close enough to feel the angry warmth radiating off of his boyfriend's body. "I....I know having a sword to fight with is useful, but tearing things up with just my body is so much easier and the urges never go away." Rin sighed, frustrated. He wasn't far from pulling at his hair like he did sometimes and Bon very gently placed his hands on top of Rin's. His hands were warm, they were always warm now that he was merged with Karura. Rin seemed to enjoy the warmth a lot and loved snuggling up to Bon the most. 

Instead if pulling away like he sometimes did, Rin's hands relaxed and stopped flexing to dig his claws into his calves. He was breathing more regularly now, good. 

"Being raised human was probably pretty bad for you, huh?" Bon prompted. It helped Rin to say things out loud to people when he was frustrated like this. 

"I...It was so frustrating! Dad–Shiro–just never understood what I was saying, I'd maybe he just refuses to listen because he knew it was a demon thing and he was trying so hard to force me to be human and I just couldn't!" Angry tears were gathering in his eyes and he dug his claws back in and his eyebrows furrowed abd his lips pulled into a deep frown. Rin's claws were deep e pugh to be scraping bone, but Bon knew better than to try and stop him from doing it. The pain kept Rin grounded. Pulling his claws away would only get Bon a vicious snarl and Rin stomping away to be with Shiemi until he calmed down. He couldn't be around Amaimon or Mephisto when he was angry most of the time uness it was a case of Rin itching to destroy something and them talking him down and soothing him. Something about their presences just set him off most times. Maybe it was jealousy over them getting to know exactly who and what they were from the start and understanding everything that happened well written remained confused to this day and still struggled to understand a lot of things. 

There was also the fact that Mephisto liked to tease and push at boundaries way too much and sometimes Rin couldn't deal with it. He was better suited to Amaimon's playing rather than Mephisto's. Mephisto's kind of playing frustrated him and usually made him feel used, which he absolutely hated with every fiber of his being. When that happened, Rin would give the Time Lord both the cold shoulder and the silent treatment. He'd avoid the man like the plague until he could deal with being around him again. Mephisto always looked so heartbroken when that happened, but if the Demon King didn't want to stop his playing with Rin even when it always drive the boy away from him, that was his problem. He was thousands of years old, no way was Bon going to baby him and just tell him the problem. 

"So are we destroying everything within five kilometers of us or are we just chilling?" Bon wondered. Rin smiled, finally. "Just chilling. I'm okay. It's probably stupid and petty, but sometimes I can't deal with people not giving me what I want or telling me what I want to hear." He explained, tail flicking back in forth behind him in shame.

"That's fine, Rin. You spent so long never getting what you wanted or deserved. I think you've earned plenty of hissy fits and bouts of tears over that subject. I'll always do my best to give you what you want, promise." He nuzzled Rin's hair and Rin sighed, shoulders dropping from their tense position. He leaned into Bon and didn't pull away when his arm came around Rin's shoulders to hold him. 

"just hold me, okay?" Rin requested in whispers. Bon nodded and placed a gentle kiss on the crown of Rin's head.

§~•~§~•~§

"When I was little, I got frustrated by the way humans did things, like some part of me knew that I wasn't like them. I didn't want to solve problems their way. Using words does nothing against other kids. Kids are heartless little shits unless you raise them right. If they pushed Yukio and only got some gentle request to quit it, they wouldn't." Rin sighed, looking up at the sky. Mephisto at least knew to give Rin what he wanted when he said he was done training for a while, so he'd laid down next to Rin to peer up at the clouds drifting peacefully across the sky with him.

"Yes? What solutions did the humans give you?" He humoured Rin. Rin liked saying things out loud. It helped his mind feel less cramped when he could tell other people about things he thought were important. Mephisto admired how well Rin knew himself. 

"Use your words.' Fucking Shiro. Always wanted to punch him in the dick when he said that. I could write the words on my fists and the other kids would only ever understand them after getting a nice close up." He snarled, claws scraping the rooftop as he dug them in.

"Use your words, don't hit the other kids, don't yell at your teachers when you're angry, don't try to correct adults, they're right. On and on. I hated hearing those words. I oy ever used my fists when words did t work, but Shiro never cared about that. Only that I'd even fought in the first place. But how the hell do you expect people who don't listen to understand unless you beat it into them?!" His fist cracked the rooftop and he was satisfied with the small amount of damage he'd caused. 

"Shiro always tried to force me to be like other kids, but I wasn't. I could never be a normal human kid. That's like taking a hobgoblin and raising it as a Nabarius. No matter what you do, it will never be a Nabarius. You're only wasting your time and hurting the child you're forcing ideals on." He watched a fluffy cloud float by in the blue sky and almost wished it would rain. Hot tears gathered in his eyes and spilled. 

"I hated living like that. Hated never being able to understand why no one ever accepted me as me. Hated that Shiro always tried to 'fix' me. I lost respect for him so early on and faked it until he died and then some. Because humans think their elders are all so wise and such great role models and deserve respect. It feels so nice not to have to fake things anymore." He admitted. "I like being a demon. We don't have rules like humans do. Demons know how to listen to their damn kids and they know how to understand them too. They don't try to force them to be what they're not. If a goblin hatchling ends up in a Nabarius pack, the Nabarius find a Goblin clan to give it to. They won't try to make it one of them." Mephisto's hand took the one that had cracked the roof. He intertwined their fingers.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly. "I didn't know what exactly he'd do when I forced him to take care of you and Yukio, but I never thought he could damage you so. That he would try to force you to be human. I didn't think about how his attachment to Yuri and his hatred of Satan might affect your upbringing. You looked like the woman he loved and he wanted you to be like her, but you weren't. He saw your temper and understanding at something from your father even though it was typical behavior for a demon hatchling. I should have paid closer attention to that man than I did. Perhaps it was I who trusted to easily that time." His apology was lengthy and seemed to satisfy Rin immensely. He'd meant every word of it, it just took him a while to admit he'd made so many mistakes. 

Rin let loose a purr and flipped around so he was on top of Mephisto's chest, laying there contentedly. It may have made him ability to breathe a little more difficult, but Mephisto didn't even hear our the thought of pushing the boy off. He wrapped his arms around Rin and purred back. Rin snuggled into him and had his ear to the Time Lord's chest, listening and feeling the vibrations if the purr.

§~•~§~•~§

Rin was placing soft, gentle kisses over Amaimon's face, releasing loving little purrs and noises as he did so. 

"Did something upset you again, Love?" Amaimon wondered. Rin hummed in affirmation. His tail curled around Amaimon's waist and occasionally squeezed lightly, like he was making sure Amaimon was still there with him.

Amaimon ribbed his thumbs in soothing circles on Rin's sides as he waited for the boy to continue. "Sometimes I forget that humans are backwards. They wanna tell me what to do and how to do it, but I could snap all their necks so easily that I almost want to sometimes." He said finally.

"Or they think they have any leverage over me just because I agreed to be their weapon. I can't believe they really think I wouldn't have run if I'd been marked for execution if I failed the test. Humans are stupid." He continued, quite content to shower his fiancé in kisses and affection as he critisized the dominating race of Assiah in terms of population.

"Did you ever love a human, Amaimon?" Rin asked curiously. "Once." Amaimon admitted. "Because she refused to be fragile and weak like the other humans even though she couldn't do much against demons in terms of strength. She was a warrior and she earned my respect, though we never actually crossed paths." 

"Really? What was she like?" Rin asked. "She was fearsome and stubborn and she wouldn't take no for an answer. She was assaulted as a young girl and had to live with being shamed and condemned by all the other humans around her, even her family. Her family scorned her for keeping the baby even though she was a mere fourteen years old. She ran away and took care of the baby by herself in a lone cabin in the woods. She never left him alone until the child could defend himself." 

"Woah, really?! She just struck out on her own?!" Rin gasped, amazed at the nerve and the success of this woman. Amaimon smiled. "Yes. She took that baby with her everywhere and set traps all around the house when she was gone. She taught the baby boy how to survive and never left him on his own until she was sure she could trust him. She grew to be an amazing woman. I watched them both grow and live lives worth living." He curled a lock if Rin's hair around a clawed finger, the other hand cupping the boy's cheek and stroking the perfectly smoothe skin. 

"I loved her for being herself no matter what others told her abd no matter what she faced. I loved her for finding her way out of situations that one would think impossible. I loved her for raising that child so well." He hadn't told this story in a long time, but it was refreshing to recall it, even if it ended somewhat sadly. 

"One day, when she was in her thirties, there was a situation that she couldb't get both herself and her son out of alive. She sacrificed herself to allow her son to live on. She told him to live a fuller life than she could give him, and that she loved him with everything she had. Then she died and he buried her behind that cabin. Her descendants still live there today and send for themselves. Sometimes I check up on them. Seeing them now, I'm always glad I was able to witness their very beginning." He finished. 

"I wish more people like that existed. We need them." Rin murmured, nuzzling into Amaimon's palm cupping his cheek. 

"You're one of them. You are not human, so you are different from her, but if there were a demon version of that woman, it would surely be you, my Love." He breathed, pressing a kiss to Rin's lips. 

"She was better than all of these miserable humans and you are too. It only makes me happier that you remind me of her the longer we are together. I think you will be an amazing father one day, Rin." Rin's blinked in shock as the words registered before he smiled and pulled the Earth King into a breath taking kiss. 

"What was her name?" He demanded after they'd separated. "Athalia. It's a Greek name and she was European. It interested me, so I kept track of her. I never would've thought I'd stay to watch her for so long, but it was one of my favorite things to witness. Why do you ask?" Amaimon tilted his head curiously and Rin smiled. 

"We should make our first girl that. It's a pretty name, and it means something to us, even if other people don't get it. I think Athalia is a woman to be honoured after living so fearlessly." Rin explained. Amaimon's smile turned into a grin and he attacked Rin with happy kisses. "I think that's perfect for our first daughter." He agreed. 

Rin always admired the way Amaimon could take his bad mood in stride and make him happy in his own way. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, as you guys can see here, Rin gets along great with Bon and Amaimon for certain reasons while he and Mephisto have trouble sometimes.
> 
> Bon is able to understand and connect to Mephisto because he is also analytical and smart and understands games like the ones Mephisto plays.
> 
> But he is also able to understand Rin because he spent a lot of time around the guy and he's learned how to read Rin like a book.
> 
> Amaimon and Rin get along amazingly because both Rin and Amaimon find it much simpler to live free and play without so many rules. They don't like complicated and calculating games. They admire simplicity and Amaimon ad.ites Rin's complexity even as his personality is simple to understand. He likes that Rin understands his own complexity and actively chooses to still be simple.
> 
> Mephisto loves games and loves pushing people to their limits for his own entertainment. He has a habit of pushing Rin too far sometimes and not properly evaluating how Rin feels when he is pushing said limits. So, Rin snapped at him and gets angry because he hates being forced into things he hates and he hates feeling used by someone he loves so much, so he'll stay away from Mephisto for a while until the hurt is soothed and he can forgive Mephisto stepping over the line. 
> 
> Mephisto, on the other hand, knows what he's doing, but can't seem to stop. At this point, it's a habit for him. It's a part of him that will never leave and he is working in remembering to check on Rin's feelings about whatever limits he's pushing before he just goes ahead and upsets Rin. It really does hurt him whenever he hurts Rin, because he doesn't mean to, but it will take him a while to get into the habit of always checking on Rin and his feelings on certain matters. 
> 
> Rin always comes back, but he will never stop being scared of Rin leaving him and staying with Bon and Amaimon, of Rin deeming him unworthy of his love. He can't stand to even look at himself in a mirror during the periods of Rin avoiding him and will either snap away or punch any mirrors he sees in reflex. He punches them more often because he thinks he deserves the pain from the shattered glass for hurting Rin, even though the small cuts will never compare to the pain he probably caused Rin. It is rare, but he will sometimes get self-destructive and Amaimon will stay by his side until Rin comes back to him to make sure he doesn't abuse his host body in retribution for his own actions. 
> 
> The issue is something Rin and Mephisto are working on. Bon and Amaimon both believe they'll make it there someday. Until then, they'll be there for support.


End file.
